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Characterising and differentiating cognitive and motor speed in older adults: structural equation modelling on a UK longitudinal birth cohort

Indra Bundil Orcid Logo, Sabina Baltruschat, Jiaxiang Zhang Orcid Logo

BMJ Open, Volume: 14, Issue: 8, Start page: e083968

Swansea University Author: Jiaxiang Zhang Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-083968

Abstract

Objectives Information processing speed (IPS) has been proposed to be a key component in healthy ageing and cognitive functioning. Yet, current studies lack a consistent definition and specific influential characteristics. This study aimed to investigate IPS as a multifaceted concept by differentiat...

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Published in: BMJ Open
ISSN: 2044-6055 2044-6055
Published: BMJ 2024
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67442
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Abstract: Objectives Information processing speed (IPS) has been proposed to be a key component in healthy ageing and cognitive functioning. Yet, current studies lack a consistent definition and specific influential characteristics. This study aimed to investigate IPS as a multifaceted concept by differentiating cognitive and motor IPS.Design, setting and participants A retrospective data analysis using data from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (a population-based cohort of UK adults born in 1946) at childhood (ages 8, 11 and 15) and adulthood (ages 60–64 and 68–70). Using structural equation modelling, we constructed two models of IPS with 2124 and 1776 participants, respectively.Outcome measures Measures of interest included IPS (ie, letter cancellation, simple and choice reaction time), intelligence (ie, childhood intelligence and National Adult Reading Test), verbal memory, socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive functions measured by the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination III, as well as a variety of health indexes.Results We found distinct predictors for cognitive and motor IPS and how they relate to other cognitive functions in old age. In our first model, SES and antipsychotic medication usage emerged as significant predictors for cognitive IPS, intelligence and smoking as predictors for motor IPS while both share sex, memory and antiepileptic medication usage as common predictors. Notably, all differences between both IPS types ran in the same direction except for sex differences, with women performing better than men in cognitive IPS and vice versa in motor IPS. The second model showed that both IPS measures, as well as intelligence, memory, antipsychotic and sedative medication usage, explain cognitive functions later in life.Conclusion Taken together, these results shed further light on IPS as a whole by showing there are distinct types and that these measures directly relate to other cognitive functions.
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. (716321—FREEMIND)). IB is supported by a PhD studentship from Cardiff University School of Psychology.
Issue: 8
Start Page: e083968

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